Plasma reactor with overhead RF electrode tuned to the plasma

ABSTRACT

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a plasma reactor has a capacitive electrode driven by an RF power source, and the electrode capacitance is matched at the desired plasma density and RF source frequency to the negative capacitance of the plasma, to provide an electrode plasma resonance supportive of a broad process window within which the plasma may be sustained.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

An RF plasma reactor is used to process semiconductor wafers to producemicroelectronic circuits. The reactor forms a plasma within a chambercontaining the wafer to be processed. The plasma is formed andmaintained by application of RF plasma source power coupled eitherinductively or capacitively into the chamber. For capacitive coupling ofRF source power into the chamber, an overhead electrode (facing thewafer) is powered by an RF source power generator.

One problem in such reactors is that the output impedance of the RFgenerator, typically 50 Ohms, must be matched to the load impedancepresented by the combination of the electrode and the plasma. Otherwisethe amount of RF power delivered to the plasma chamber will fluctuatewith fluctuations in the plasma load impedance so that certain processparameters such as plasma density cannot be held within the requiredlimits. The plasma load impedance fluctuates during processing becauseit depends upon conditions inside the reactor chamber which tend tochange dynamically as processing progresses. At an optimum plasmadensity for dielectric or metal etch processes, the load impedance isvery small compared to the output impedance of the RF generator and canvary significantly during the processing of the wafer. Accordingly, animpedance match circuit must be employed to actively maintain animpedance match between the generator and the load. Such activeimpedance matching uses either a variable reactance and/or a variablefrequency. One problem with such impedance match circuits is that theymust be sufficiently agile to follow rapid changes in the plasma loadimpedance, and therefore are relatively expensive and can reduce systemreliability due to their complexity.

Another problem is that the range of load impedances over which thematch circuit can provide an impedance match (the “match space”) islimited. The match space is related to the system Q, where Q=Δf/f, fbeing a resonant frequency of the system and Δf being the bandwidth oneither side of f within which resonant amplitude is within 6 dB of thepeak resonant amplitude at f. The typical RF generator has a limitedability to maintain the forward power at a nearly constant level even asmore RF power is reflected back to the generator as the plasma impedancefluctuates. Typically, this is achieved by the generator servoing itsforward power level, so that as an impedance mismatch increases (andtherefore reflected power increases), the generator increases itsforward power level. Of course, this ability is limited by the maximumforward power of which the generator is capable of producing. Typically,the generator is capable of handling a maximum ratio of forward standingwave voltage to reflected wave voltage (i.e., the voltage standing waveratio or VSWR) of not more than 3:1. If the difference in impedancesincreases (e.g., due to plasma impedance fluctuations during processing)so that the VSWR exceeds 3:1, then the RF generator can no longercontrol the delivered power, and control over the plasma is lost. As aresult, the process is likely to fail. Therefore, at least anapproximate impedance match must be maintained between the RF generatorand the load presented to it by the combination of the coil antenna andthe chamber. This approximate impedance match must be sufficient to keepthe VSWR at the generator output within the 3:1 VSWR limit over theentire anticipated range of plasma impedance fluctuations. The impedancematch space is, typically, the range of load impedances for which thematch circuit can maintain the VSWR at the generator output at or below3:1.

A related problem is that the load impedance itself is highly sensitiveto process parameters such as chamber pressure, source power level,source power frequency and plasma density. This limits the range of suchprocess parameters (the “process window”) within which the plasmareactor must be operated to avoid an unacceptable impedance mismatch oravoid fluctuations that take load impedance outside of the match space.Likewise, it is difficult to provide a reactor which can be operatedoutside of a relatively narrow process window and use, or one that canhandle many applications.

Another related problem is that the load impedance is also affected bythe configuration of the reactor itself, such as dimensions of certainmechanical features and the conductivity or dielectric constant ofcertain materials within the reactor. (Such configurational items affectreactor electrical characteristics, such as stray capacitance forexample, that in turn affect the load impedance.) This makes itdifficult to maintain uniformity among different reactors of the samedesign due to manufacturing tolerances and variations in materials. As aresult, with a high system Q and correspondingly small impedance matchspace, it is difficult to produce any two reactors of the same designwhich exhibit the same process window or provide the same performance.

Another problem is inefficient use of the RF power source. Plasmareactors are known to be inefficient, in that the amount of powerdelivered to the plasma tends to be significantly less than the powerproduced by the RF generator. As a result, an additional cost ingenerator capability and a trade-off against reliability must beincurred to produce power in excess of what is actually required to bedelivered into the plasma.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a plasma reactor has acapacitive electrode driven by an RF power source, and the electrodecapacitance is matched at the desired plasma density and RF sourcefrequency to the negative capacitance of the plasma, to provide anelectrode plasma resonance and a broad process window within which theplasma may be sustained. It is a discovery of the invention thatselecting a VHF frequency for the RF power source enables the foregoingmatch to be implemented at plasma densities which favor certain plasmaprocesses such as etch processes.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, an RF source isimpedance-matched to the electrode-plasma load impedance through atuning stub connected at one end to the electrode. The stub has a lengthproviding a resonance at or near the frequency of the RF source and/orthe resonant frequency of the electrode-plasma combination. The RFgenerator is tapped to the stub at or near a location along the stub atwhich the input impedance matches the RF source impedance.

In a preferred embodiment, the process window is further expanded byslightly offsetting the electrode-plasma resonant frequency, the stubresonant frequency and the RF source frequency from one another.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cut-away cross-sectional side view of a plasma reactorembodying the present invention.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams illustrating, respectively, the coaxialstub of FIG. 1 and the voltage and current standing wave amplitudes as afunction of position along the coaxial stub.

FIG. 3 illustrates the subtraction of current at the input power tappoint on the coaxial stub that occurs in response to high plasma loadimpedance in a preferred embodiment to maintain a more constantdelivered VHF power level in a larger match space.

FIG. 4 illustrates the addition of current at the input power tap pointon the coaxial stub that occurs in response to low plasma load impedancein a preferred embodiment to maintain a more constant delivered VHFpower level in a larger match space.

FIG. 5 is a graph illustrating the low-Q reflection coefficient as afunction of frequency of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a graph illustrating the interaction of the currentcontribution at the input power tap point on the coaxial stub with thestanding wave current and voltage along the stub length.

FIG. 7 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the coaxial stub of FIG.1.

FIG. 8 depicts another embodiment in accordance with the presentinvention.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view corresponding to FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is another enlarged view of FIG. 8.

FIG. 12 depicts yet another embodiment in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 13 is a top view corresponding to FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a top view corresponding to an alternate embodiment of thereactor of FIG. 13.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Preferred Embodiment Overview:

Referring to FIG. 1, a plasma reactor includes a reactor chamber 100with a wafer support 105 at the bottom of the chamber supporting asemiconductor wafer 110. A semiconductor ring 115 surrounds the wafer110. The semiconductor ring 115 is supported on the grounded chamberbody 127 by a dielectric (quartz) ring 120. In the preferred embodiment,this is of a thickness of 10 mm and dielectric constant of 4. Thechamber 100 is bounded at the top by a disc shaped overhead aluminumelectrode supported at a predetermined gap length above the wafer 110 ongrounded chamber body 127 by a dielectric (quartz) seal. The overheadelectrode 125 also may be a metal (e.g., aluminum) which may be coveredwith a semi-metal material (e.g., Si or SiC) on its interior surface, orit may be itself a semi-metal material. An RF generator 150 applies RFpower to the electrode 125. RF power from the generator 150 is coupledthrough a coaxial cable 162 matched to the generator 150 and into acoaxial stub 135 connected to the electrode 125. The stub 135 has acharacteristic impedance, resonance frequency, and provides an impedancematch between the electrode 125 and the coaxial cable 162/RF powergenerator 150, as will be more fully described below. The chamber bodyis connected to the RF return (RF ground) of the RF generator 150. TheRF path from the overhead electrode 125 to RF ground is affected by thecapacitance of the semiconductor ring 115, the dielectric ring 120 andthe dielectric seal 130. The wafer support 105, the wafer 110 and thesemiconductor ring 115 provide the primary RF return path for RF powerapplied to the electrode 125.

The capacitance of the overhead electrode assembly 126, including theelectrode 125, the dielectric ring 120 and dielectric seal 130 measuredwith respect to RF return or ground is, in the preferred embodiment,preferably 180 pico farads. The electrode assembly capacitance isaffected by the electrode area, the gap length (distance between wafersupport and overhead electrode), and by factors affecting straycapacitances, especially the dielectric values of the seal 130 and ofthe dielectric ring 120, which in turn are affected by the dielectricconstants and thicknesses of the materials employed. More generally inthe preferred embodiment, the capacitance. of the electrode assembly (anunsigned number or scalar) is equal or nearly equal in magnitude to thenegative capacitance of the plasma (a complex number) at a particularsource power frequency, plasma density and operating pressure, as willbe discussed below.

Many of the factors influencing the foregoing relationship are in greatpart predetermined due to the realities of the plasma processrequirements needed to be performed by the reactor, the size of thewafer, and the requirement that the processing be carried out uniformlyover the wafer. Thus, the plasma capacitance is a function of the plasmadensity and the source power frequency, while the electrode capacitanceis a function of the wafer support-to-electrode gap (height), electrodediameter, and dielectric values of the insulators of the assembly.Plasma density, operating pressure, gap, and electrode diameter mustsatisfy the requirements of the plasma process to be performed by thereactor. In particular, the ion density must be within a certain range.For example, silicon and dielectric plasma etch processes generallyrequire the plasma ion density to be within the range of 10⁹-10¹²ions/cc. The wafer electrode gap provides an optimum plasma iondistribution uniformity for 8 inch wafers, for example, if the gap isabout 2 inches. The electrode diameter is preferably at least as greatas, if not greater than the diameter of the wafer. Operating pressuressimilarly have practically preferred ranges for typical etch and otherplasma processes.

But it has been found that other factors remain which can be selected toachieve the above preferred relationship, particularly choice of sourcefrequency and choice of capacitances for the overhead electrode assembly126. Within the foregoing dimensional constraints imposed on theelectrode and the constraints (e.g., density range) imposed on theplasma, the electrode capacitance can be matched to the magnitude of thenegative capacitance of the plasma if the source power frequency isselected to be a VHF frequency, and if the dielectric values of theinsulator components of electrode assembly 126 are selected properly.Such selection can achieve a match or near match between source powerfrequency and plasma-electrode resonance frequency.

Accordingly in one aspect of the preferred embodiment, for an 8-inchwafer the overhead electrode diameter is approximately 11 inches, thegap is about 2 inches, the plasma density and operating pressure istypical for etch processes as above-stated, the dielectric material forthe seal 130 has a dielectric constant of 9 and a thickness of the orderof 1 inch, the ring 115 has an inner diameter of slightly in excess of10 inches and an outer diameter of about 13 inches, the ring 120 has adielectric constant of 4 and a thickness of the order of 10 mm, the VHFsource power frequency is 210 MHz (although other VHF frequencies couldbe equally effective), and the source power frequency, the plasmaelectrode resonance frequency and the stub resonance frequency are allmatched or nearly matched.

More particularly, in the preferred embodiment these three frequenciesare slightly offset from one another, with the source power frequencybeing 210 MHz, the electrode-plasma resonant frequency beingapproximately 200 MHz, and the stub frequency being about 220 MHz, inorder to achieve a de-tuning effect which advantageously reduces thesystem Q. Such a reduction in system Q renders the reactor performanceless susceptible to changes in conditions inside the chamber, so thatthe entire process is much more stable and can be carried out over a farwider process window.

The coaxial stub 135 is a specially configured design which furthercontributes to the overall system stability, its wide process windowcapabilities, as well as many other valuable advantages. It includes aninner cylindrical conductor 140 and an outer concentric cylindricalconductor 145. An insulator 147 (denoted by cross-hatching in FIG. 1)preferably having a relative dielectric constant of 1 fills the spacebetween the inner and outer conductors 140, 145. The inner and outerconductors 140, 145 are formed of nickel-coated aluminum. In thepreferred embodiment, the outer conductor 145 preferably has a diameterof about 4.32 inches and the inner conductor 140 preferably has adiameter of about 1.5 inches. The stub characteristic impedance isdetermined by the radii of the inner and outer conductors 140, 145 andthe dielectric constant of the insulator 147. The stub 135 of thepreferred embodiment described above has a characteristic impedance of65 Ω. More generally, the stub characteristic impedance exceeds thesource power output impedance by about 20%-40% and preferably by about30%. The stub 135 has an axial length of about 29 inches—a quarterwavelength at 220 MHz—in order to have a resonance in the vicinity of220 MHz to generally match while being slightly offset from thepreferred VHF source power frequency of 210 MHz.

A tap 160 is provided at a particular point along the axial length ofthe stub 135 for applying RF power from the RF generator 150 to the stub135, as will be discussed below. The RF power terminal 150 a and the RFreturn terminal 150 b of the generator 150 are connected at the tap 160on the stub 135 to the inner and outer coaxial stub conductors 140, 145,respectively. These connections are made via a generator-to-stub coaxialcable 162 having a characteristic impedance that matches the outputimpedance of the generator 150 (typically, 50 Ω) in the well-knownmanner. A terminating conductor 165 at the far end 135 a of the stub 135shorts the inner and outer conductors 140, 145 together, so that thestub 135 is shorted at its far end 135 a. At the near end 135 b (theunshorted end) of the stub 135, the outer conductor 145 is connected tothe chamber body via an annular conductive housing or support 175, whilethe inner conductor 140 is connected to the center of electrode 125 viaa conductive cylinder or support 176. Preferably, a dielectric ring 180,which in the preferred embodiment has a thickness of 1.3 inch anddielectric constant 9, is held between and separates the conductivecylinder 176 and the electrode 125.

Preferably, the inner conductor 140 provides a conduit for utilitiessuch as process gases and coolant. The principal advantage of thisfeature is that, unlike typical plasma reactors, the gas line 170 andthe coolant line 173 do not cross large electrical potentialdifferences. They therefore may be constructed of metal, a lessexpensive and more reliable material for such a purpose. The metallicgas line 170 feeds gas inlets 172 in or adjacent the overhead electrode125 while the metallic coolant line 173 feeds coolant passages orjackets 174 within the overhead electrode 125.

An active and resonant impedance transformation is thereby provided bythis specially configured stub match between the RF generator 150, andthe overhead electrode assembly 126 and processing plasma load,minimizing reflected power and providing a very wide impedance matchspace accomodating wide changes in load impedance. Consequently, wideprocess windows and process flexibility is provided, along withpreviously unobtainable efficiency in use of power, all while minimizingor avoiding the need for typical impedance match apparatus. As notedabove, the stub resonance frequency is also offset from ideal match tofurther enhance overall system Q, system stability and process windowsand multi-process capability.

Matching the Electrode-Plasma Resonance Frequency and the VHF SourcePower Frequency

As outlined above, a principal feature is to configure the overheadelectrode assembly 126 for resonance with the plasma at theelectrode-plasma resonant frequency and for the matching (or the nearmatch of) the source power frequency and the electrode-plasma frequency.The electrode assembly 126 has a predominantly capacitive reactancewhile the plasma reactance is a complex function of frequency, plasmadensity and other parameters. (As will be described below in greaterdetail, a plasma is analyzed in terms of a reactance which is a complexfunction involving imaginary terms and generally corresponds to anegative capacitance.) The electrode-plasma resonant frequency isdetermined by the reactances of the electrode assembly 126 and of theplasma (in analogy with the resonant frequency of a capacitor/inductorresonant circuit being determined by the reactances of the capacitor andthe inductor). Thus the electrode-plasma resonant frequency may notnecessarily be the source power frequency, depending as it does upon theplasma density. The problem, therefore, in carrying out the preferredembodiment of the invention, is to find a source power frequency atwhich the plasma reactance is such that the electrode-plasma resonantfrequency is equal or nearly equal to the source power frequency, giventhe constraints of practical confinement to a particular range of plasmadensity and electrode dimensions. The problem is even more difficult,because the plasma density (which affects the plasma reactance) and theelectrode dimensions (which affect electrode capacitance) must meetcertain process constraints. Specifically, for dielectric and metalplasma etch processes, the plasma density should be within the range of10⁹-10¹² ions/cc, which is a constraint on the plasma reactance.Moreover, a more uniform plasma ion density distribution for processing8-inch diameter wafers for example, is realized by a wafer-to-electrodegap or height of about 2 inches and an electrode diameter on the orderof the wafer diameter, or greater, which is a constraint on theelectrode capacitance.

Accordingly in one feature of the preferred embodiment, by matching (ornearly matching) the electrode capacitance to the magnitude of thenegative capacitance of the plasma, the electrode-plasma resonantfrequency and the source power frequency are at least nearly matched.For the general metal and dielectric etch process conditions enumeratedabove (i.e., plasma density between 10⁹-10¹² ions/cc, a 2-inch gap andan electrode diameter on the order of roughly 11 inches), the match ispossible if the source power frequency is a VHF frequency. Otherconditions (e.g., different wafer diameters, different plasma densities,etc.) may dictate a different frequency range to realize such a match incarrying out this feature of the invention. As will be detailed below,under favored plasma processing conditions for processing 8-inch wafersin several principal applications including dielectric and metal plasmaetching and chemical vapor deposition, the plasma capacitance in onetypical working example of the preferred embodiment having plasmadensities as set forth above was between −50 and −400 pico farads. Inthe preferred embodiment the capacitance of the overhead electrodeassembly 126 was matched to the magnitude of this negative plasmacapacitance by using an electrode diameter of 11 inches, a gap length(electrode to pedestal spacing) of approximately 2 inches, choosing adielectric material for seal 130 having a dielectric constant of 9, anda thickness of the order of one inch, and a dielectric material for thering 120 having a dielectric constant of 4 and thickness of the order of10 mm.

The combination of electrode assembly 126 and the plasma resonates at anelectrode-plasma resonant frequency that at least nearly matches thesource power frequency applied to the electrode 125, assuming a matchingof their capacitances as just described. We have discovered that forfavored etch plasma processing recipes, environments and plasmas, thiselectrode-plasma resonant frequency and the source power frequency canbe matched or nearly matched at VHF frequencies; and that it is highlyadvantageous that such a frequency match or near-match be implemented.In the preferred embodiment, the electrode-plasma resonance frequencycorresponding to the foregoing values of plasma negative capacitance isapproximately 200 MHz, as will be detailed below. The source powerfrequency is 210 MHz, a near-match in which the source power frequencyis offset slightly above the electrode-plasma resonance frequency inorder to realize other advantages to be discussed below.

The plasma capacitance is a function of among other things, plasmaelectron density. This is related to plasma ion density, which needs, inorder to provide good plasma processing conditions, to be kept in arange generally 10⁹ to 10¹² ions/cc. This density, together with thesource power frequency and other parameters, determines the plasmanegative capacitance, the selection of which is therefore constrained bythe need to optimize plasma processing conditions, as will be furtherdetailed below. But the overhead electrode assembly capacitance isaffected by many physical factors, e.g. gap length (spacing betweenelectrode 125 and the wafer); the area of electrode 125; the choice ofdielectric constant of the dielectric seal 130 between electrode 125 andgrounded chamber body 127; the choice of dielectric constant for thedielectric ring 120 between semiconductor ring 115 and the chamber body;and the thickness of the dielectric structures of seal 130 and ring 120and the thickness and dielectric constant of the ring 180. This permitssome adjustment of the electrode assembly capacitance through choicesmade among these and other physical factors affecting the overheadelectrode capacitance. We have found that the range of this adjustmentis sufficient to achieve the necessary degree of matching of theoverhead electrode assembly capacitance to the magnitude of the negativeplasma capacitance. In particular, the dielectric materials anddimensions for the seal 130 and ring 120 are chosen to provide thedesired dielectric constants and resulting dielectric values. Matchingthe electrode capacitance and the plasma capacitance can then beachieved despite the fact that some of the same physical factorsinfluencing electrode capacitance, particularly gap length, will bedictated or limited by the following practicalities: the need to handlelarger diameter wafers; to do so with good uniformity of distribution ofplasma ion density over the full diameter of the wafer; and to have goodcontrol of ion density vs ion energy.

Accordingly in the preferred embodiment, for plasma ion density rangesas set forth above favorable to plasma etch processes; and for chamberdimensions suitable for processing 8 inch wafers, a capacitance forelectrode assembly 126 was achieved which matched the plasma capacitanceof −50 to −400 pico farads by using an electrode diameter of 11 inches,a gap length of approximately 2 inches, and a material for the seal 130having a dielectric constant of 9, and a material for the ring 120having a dielectric constant of 4.

Given the foregoing range for the plasma capacitance and the matchingoverhead electrode capacitance, the electrode-plasma resonance frequencywas approximately 200 MHz for a source power frequency of 210 MHz.

A great advantage of choosing the capacitance of the electrode assembly126 in this manner, and then matching the resultant electrode-plasmaresonant frequency and the source power frequency, is that resonance ofthe electrode and plasma near the source power frequency provides awider impedance match and wider process window, and consequently muchgreater immunity to changes in process conditions, and therefore greaterperformance stability. The entire processing system is rendered lesssensitive to variations in operating conditions, e.g., shifts in plasmaimpedance, and therefore more reliable along with a greater range ofprocess applicability. As will be discussed later in the specification,this advantage is further enhanced by the small offset between theelectrode-plasma resonant frequency and the source power frequency.

Why the Plasma Has a Negative Capacitance:

The capacitance of the plasma is governed by the electrical permittivityof the plasma, ∈, which is a complex number and is a function of theelectrical permittivity of free space ∈₀, the plasma electron frequencyω_(pe), the source power frequency ω and the electron-neutral collisionfrequency ν_(en) in accordance with the following equation:

∈=∈₀[1−ω_(pe) ²/(ω(ω+iν_(en)) )] where i=(−1)^(½).

(The plasma electron frequency ω_(pe) is a simple function of the plasmaelectron density and is defined in well-known publications on plasmaprocessing.)

In one working example, the neutral species was Argon, the plasmaelectron frequency was about 230 MHz, the RF source power frequency wasabout 210 MHz with chamber pressure in the range of 10 mT to 200 mT withsufficient RF power applied so that the plasma density was between 10⁹and 10¹² cc⁻¹. Under these conditions, which are typical of thosefavorable to plasma etch processes, the plasma generally has a negativecapacitance because its effective electrical permittivity defined by theforegoing equation is negative. Under these conditions, the plasma had anegative capacitance of −50 to −400 pico farads. Then as we have seenabove in more general terms, the plasma capacitance, as a function ofplasma electron density (as well as source power frequency andelectron-neutral collision frequency) tends to be generally limited byfavored plasma process realities for key applications such as dielectricetch, metal etch and CVD, to certain desired ranges, and to have anegative value at VHF source power frequencies. By exploiting thesecharacteristics of the plasma, the electrode capacitance matching andfrequency-matching features of the invention achieve a process windowcapability and flexibility and stability of operation not previouslypossible.

Impedance Transformation Provided by the Stub 135:

The stub 135 provides an impedance transformation between the 50 Ωoutput impedance of the RF generator 150 and the load impedancepresented by the combination of the electrode assembly 126 and theplasma within the chamber. For such an impedance match, there must belittle or no reflection of RF power at the generator-stub connection andat the stub-electrode connection (at least no reflection exceeding theVSWR limits of the RF generator 150). How this is accomplished will nowbe described.

At the desired VHF frequency of the generator 150 and at a plasmadensity and chamber pressure favorable for plasma etch processes (i.e.,10⁹-10¹² ions/cm³ and 10 mT-200 mT, respectively), the impedance of theplasma itself is about (0.3+(i)7)Ω, where 0.3 is the real part of theplasma impedance, i=(−1)^(½), and 7 is the imaginary part of the plasmaimpedance. The load impedance presented by the electrode-plasmacombination is a function of this plasma impedance and of thecapacitance of the electrode assembly 126. As described above, thecapacitance of the electrode assembly 126 is selected to achieve aresonance between the electrode assembly 126 and the plasma with anelectrode-plasma resonant frequency of about 200 MHz. Reflections of RFpower at the stub-electrode interface are minimized or avoided becausethe resonant frequency of the stub 135 is set to be at or near theelectrode-plasma resonant frequency so that the two at least nearlyresonate together.

At the same time, reflections of RF power at the generator-stubinterface are minimized or avoided because the location of the tap 160along the axial length of the stub 135 is such that, at the tap 160, theratio of the standing wave voltage to the standing wave current in thestub 135 is near the output impedance of the generator 150 orcharacteristic impedance of the cable 162 (both being about 50 Ω). Howthe tap 160 is located to achieve this will now be discussed.

Axial Location of the Stub's Tap 160:

The axial length of the coaxial stub 135 preferably is a multiple of aquarter wavelength of a “stub” frequency (e.g., 220 MHz) which, asstated above, is near the electrode-plasma resonant frequency. In thepreferred embodiment, this multiple is two, so that the coaxial stublength is about a half wavelength of the “stub” frequency, or about 29inches.

The tap 160 is at a particular axial location along the length of thestub 135. At this location, the ratio between the amplitudes of thestanding wave voltage and the standing wave current of an RF signal atthe output frequency of the generator 150 corresponds to an inputimpedance matching the output impedance of the RF generator 150 (e.g.,50 Ohms). This is illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, in which the voltageand current standing waves in the stub 135 have a null and a peak,respectively, at the shorted outer stub end 135 a. A desired locationfor the tap 160 is at a distance A inwardly from the shorted end, wherethe ratio of the standing wave voltage and current corresponds to 50Ohms. This location is readily found by the skilled worker byempirically determining where the standing wave ratio is 50 Ohms. Thedistance or location A of the tap 160 that provides a match to the RFgenerator output impedance (50 Ω) is a function of the characteristicimpedance of the stub 135, as will be described later in thisspecification. When the tap 160 is located precisely at the distance A,the impedance match space accomodates a 9:1 change in the real part ofthe load impedance, if the RF generator is of the typical kind that canmaintain constant delivered power over a 3:1 voltage standing wave ratio(VSWR).

In the preferred embodiment, the impedance match space is greatlyexpanded to accommodate a nearly 60:1 change in the real part of theload impedance. This dramatic result is achieved by slightly shiftingthe tap 160 from the precise 50 Ω point at location A toward the shortedexternal end 135 a of the coaxial stub 135. This shift is preferably 5%of a wavelength in the preferred embodiment (i.e., about 1.5 inch). Itis a discovery of the invention that at this slightly shifted taplocation, the RF current contribution at the tap 160 subtracts or addsto the current in the stub, which ever becomes appropriate, tocompensate for fluctuations in the plasma load impedance, as will bedescribed below with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. This compensation issufficient to increase the match space from one that accomodates a 9:1swing in the real part of the load impedance to a 60:1 swing.

It is felt that this behavior is due to a tendency of the phase of thestanding wave current in the stub 135 to become more sensitive to animpedance mismatch with the electrode-plasma load impedance, as the tappoint is moved away from the “match” location at A. As described above,the electrode assembly 126 is matched to the negative capacitance of theplasma under nominal operating conditions. This capacitance is −50 to−400 pico farads at the preferred VHF source power frequency (210 MHz).At this capacitance the plasma exhibits a plasma impedance of (0.3+i7)Ω.Thus, 0.3 Ω is the real part of the plasma impedance for which thesystem is tuned. As plasma conditions fluctuate, the plasma capacitanceand impedance fluctuate away from their nominal values. As the plasmacapacitance fluctuates from that to which the electrode 125 was matched,the phase of the electrode-plasma resonance changes, which affects thephase of the current in the stub 135. As the phase of the stub'sstanding wave current thus shifts, the RF generator current supplied tothe tap 160 will either add to or subtract from the stub standing wavecurrent, depending upon the direction of the phase shift. Thedisplacement of the tap 160 from the 50 Ω location at A is limited to asmall fraction of the wavelength (e.g., 5%).

FIG. 3 illustrates the standing wave current in the stub 135 when thereal part of the plasma impedance has increased due to plasmafluctuations. In FIG. 3, the current standing wave amplitude is plottedas a function of axial location along the stub 135. A discontinuity inthe standing wave current amplitude at the location 0.1 on thehorizontal axis corresponds to the position of the tap 160. In the graphof FIG. 3, an impedance mismatch occurs because the real part of theplasma impedance is high, above the nominal plasma impedance for whichthe system is tuned (i.e., at which the electrode capacitance matchesthe negative plasma capacitance). In this case, the current at the tap160 subtracts from the standing wave current in the stub 135. Thissubtraction causes the discontinuity or null in the graph of FIG. 3, andreduces the delivered power to offset the increased load. This avoids acorresponding increase in delivered power (I²R), due to the higher load(R).

FIG. 4 illustrates the standing wave current in the stub 135 when thereal part of the plasma impedance decreases. In FIG. 4, the currentstanding wave amplitude is plotted as a function of axial location alongthe stub 135. A discontinuity in the standing wave current amplitude atthe location 0.1 marks the position of the tap 160. In the graph of FIG.4, the real part of the plasma impedance is low, below the nominalplasma impedance for which the system is tuned. In this case, thecurrent at the tap 160 adds to the standing wave current in the stub135. This addition increases the delivered power to offset the decreasedload, to avoid a concomitant decrease in delivered power, I²R, due tothe decreased load, R. With such compensation, much greater changes inload impedance can be accommodated so that the match space in increasedsignificantly.

This expansion of the match space to accommodate a 60:1 swing in thereal part of the load impedance enhances process window and reliabilityof the reactor. This is because as operating conditions shift during aparticular process or application, or as the reactor is operated withdifferent operating recipes for different applications, the plasmaimpedance will change, particularly the real part of the impedance. Inthe prior art, such a change could readily exceed the range of theconventional match circuit employed in the system, so that the deliveredpower could no longer be controlled sufficiently to support a viableprocess, and the process could fail. In the present invention, the rangeof the real part of the load impedance over which delivered power can bemaintained at a desired level has been increased so much that changes inplasma impedance, which formerly would have led to a process failure,have little or no effect on a reactor embodying this aspect of theinvention. Thus, the invention enables the reactor to withstand fargreater changes in operating conditions during a particular process orapplication. Alternatively, it enables the reactor to be used in manydifferent applications involving a wider range of process conditions, asignificant advantage.

As a further advantage, the coaxial stub 135 that provides thisbroadened impedance match is a simple passive device with no “movingparts” such as a variable capacitor/servo or a variable frequency/servotypical of conventional impedance match apparatus. It is thusinexpensive and far more reliable than the impedance match apparatusthat it replaces.

De-Tuning the Operating and Resonant Frequencies to Broaden the ProcessWindow:

In accordance with a further aspect of the preferred embodiment, thesystem Q is reduced to broaden the process window by slightly offsettingthe stub resonant frequency, the electrode plasma resonant frequency andthe plasma source power frequency from one another. As described above,the stub resonant frequency is that frequency at which the axial lengthof the stub 135 is a half wavelength, and the electrode-plasma resonantfrequency is the frequency at which the electrode assembly 126 and theplasma resonate together. In the preferred embodiment, the stub 135 wascut to a length at which its resonant frequency was 220 MHz, the RFsource power generator 150 was selected to operate at 210 MHz and theresulting electrode-plasma resonant frequency was about 200 MHz.

By choosing three such differing frequencies for plasma resonance, stubresonance and source power frequency, rather than the same frequency forall three, the system has been somewhat “de-tuned”. It therefore has alower “Q”. The use of the higher VHF source power frequencyproportionately decreases the Q as well (in addition to facilitating thematch of the electrode and plasma capacitances under etch-favorableoperating conditions).

Decreasing system Q broadens the impedance match space of the system, sothat its performance is not as susceptible to changes in plasmaconditions or deviations from manufacturing tolerances. For example, theelectrode-plasma resonance may fluctuate due to fluctuations in plasmaconditions. With a smaller Q, the resonance between the stub 135 and theelectrode-plasma combination that is necessary for an impedance match(as described previously in this specification) changes less for a givenchange in the plasma-electrode resonance. As a result, fluctations inplasma conditions have less effect on the impedance match. Specifically,a given deviation in plasma operating conditions produces a smallerincrease in VSWR at the output of RF generator 150. Thus, the reactormay be operated in a wider window of plasma process conditions(pressure, source power level, source power frequency, plasma density,etc). Moreover, manufacturing tolerances may be relaxed to save cost anda more uniform performance among reactors of the same model design isachieved, a significant advantage. A related advantage is that the samereactor may have a sufficiently wide process window to be useful foroperating different process recipes and different applications, such asmetal etch, dielectric etch and/or chemical vapor deposition.

Minimizing the Stub Characteristic Impedance to Broaden the ProcessWindow:

Another choice that broadens the tuning space or decreases the system Qis to decrease the characteristic impedance of the stub 135. However,the stub characteristic impedance preferably exceeds the generatoroutput impedance, to preserve adequate match space. Therefore, in thepreferred embodiment, the system Q is preferably reduced, but only tothe extent of reducing the amount by which the characteristic impedanceof the stub 135 exceeds the output impedance of the signal generator150.

The characteristic impedance of the coaxial stub 135 is a function ofthe radii of the inner and outer conductors 140, 145 and of thedielectric constant of the insulator 147 therebetween. The stubcharacteristic impedance is chosen to provide the requisite impedancetransformation between the output impedance of the plasma power source150 and the input impedance at the electrode 135. This characteristicimpedance lies between a minimum characteristic impedance and a maximumcharacteristic impedance. Changing the characteristic impedance of thestub 135 changes the waveforms of FIG. 2 and therefore changes thedesired location of the tap 160 (i.e., its displacement, A, from the farend of the stub 135). The allowable minimum characteristic impedance ofthe stub 135 is the one at which the distance A of FIG. 2 is zero sothat tap 160 would have to be located on the far end 135 a of thecoaxial stub 135 opposite the electrode 125 in order to see a 50 Ohmratio between the standing wave current and voltage. The allowablemaximum characteristic impedance of the stub 135 is the one at which thedistance A of FIG. 2 is equal to the length of the stub 135 so that thetap 160 would have to be located at the near end 135 b of the coaxialstub 135 adjacent the electrode 125 in order to see a 50 Ohm ratiobetween the standing wave current and voltage.

In an initial preferred embodiment, the coaxial stub characteristicimpedance was chosen to be greater (by about 30%) than the outputimpedance of the RF generator 150, in order to provide an adequate matchspace. The stub impedance must exceed the RF generator output impedancebecause the impedance match condition is achieved by selecting thelocation of the tap point 160 to satisfy

Z _(gen)=α² [Z _(stub) ² /r _(plasma)]

where α is determined by the location of the tap point and variesbetween zero and one. (α corresponds to the ratio of the inductance ofthe small portion of the stub 135 between the far end 135 b and the tap160 to the inductance of the entire stub 135.) Since α cannot exceedone, the stub characteristic impedance must exceed the generator outputimpedance in order to find a solution to the foregoing equation.However, since the Q of the system is directly proportional to the stubcharacteristic impedance, the amount by which the stub characteristicimpedance exceeds the generator output impedance preferably is somewhatminimized to keep the Q as low as practical. In the exemplaryembodiment, the stub characteristic impedance exceeds the generatoroutput impedance by-only about 15 Ω.

However, in other embodiments, the coaxial stub characteristic impedancemay be chosen to be less than the plasma power source (generator) outputimpedance to achieve greater power efficiency with some reduction inimpedance match.

Increased Power Efficiency Provided by the Impedance Transformation ofthe Stub:

As discussed earlier in this specification, plasma operating conditions(e.g., plasma density) that favor plasma etch processes result in aplasma impedance that has a very small real (resistive) part (e.g., less0.3 Ohm) and a small imaginary (reactive) part (e.g., 7 Ohms).Capacitive losses predominate in the combination electrode-plasma areaof the system, because the electrode capacitance is the predominantimpedance to power flow in that part of the reactor. Therefore, powerloss in the electrode-plasma combination is proportional to the voltageon the electrode-plasma combination. In contrast, inductive andresistive losses predominate in the stub 135, because the inductance andresistance of the stub 135 are the predominant elements of impedance topower flow in the stub 135. Therefore, power loss in the stub 135 isproportional to current in the stub. The stub characteristic impedanceis much greater than the real part of the impedance presented by theelectrode-plasma combination. Therefore, in the higher impedance stub135 the voltage will be higher and the current lower than in the lowerimpedance plasma in which the current will be higher and the voltagelower. Thus, the impedance transformation between the stub 135 and theplasma-electrode combination produces a higher voltage and lower currentin the stub 135 (where resistive and inductive losses dominate and wherethese are now minimized) and a correspondingly lower voltage and highercurrent at the plasma/electrode (where capacitive losses dominate andwhere these are now minimized). In this manner overall power loss in thesystem is minimized so that power efficiency is greatly improved, asignificant advantage. In the preferred embodiment, power efficiency isabout 95% or greater.

Thus, the stub 135, configured as described above in accordance with theinvention, serves not only to provide an impedance match ortransformation between the generator and the electrode-plasma impedancesacross a very wide range or window of operating conditions, but inaddition provides a significant improvement in power efficiency.

Cross-Grounding:

The ion energy at the wafer surface can be controlled independently ofthe plasma density/overhead electrode power. Such independent control ofthe ion energy is achieved by applying an HF frequency bias power sourceto the wafer. This frequency, (typically 13.56 MHz) is significantlylower than the VHF power applied to the overhead electrode that governsplasma density. Bias power is applied to the wafer by a bias power HFsignal generator 200 coupled through a conventional impedance matchcircuit 210 to the wafer support 105. The power level of the biasgenerator 200 controls the ion energy near the wafer surface, and isgenerally a fraction of the power level of the plasma source powergenerator 150.

As referred to above, the coaxial stub 135 includes a shorting conductor165 at the outer stub end providing a short circuit between the innerand outer coaxial stub conductors 140, 145. The shorting conductor 165establishes the location of the VHF standing wave current peak and theVHF standing wave voltage null as in FIG. 2. However, the shortingconductor 165 does not short out the VHF applied power, because of thecoupling of the stub resonance and the plasma/electrode resonance, bothof which are at or near the VHF source power frequency. The conductor165 does appear as a direct short to ground for other frequencies,however, such as the HF bias power source (from the HF bias generator200) applied to the wafer. It also shorts out higher frequencies such asharmonics of the VHF source power frequency generated in the plasmasheath.

The combination of the wafer and wafer support 205, the HF impedancematch circuit 210 and the HF bias power source 200 connected theretoprovides a very low impedance or near short to ground for the VHF powerapplied to the overhead electrode. As a result, the system iscross-grounded, the HF bias signal being returned to ground through theoverhead electrode 125 and the shorted coaxial stub 135, and the VHFpower signal on the overhead electrode 135 being returned to groundthrough a very low impedance path (for VHF) through the wafer, the HFbias impedance match 210 and the HF bias power generator 200.

The exposed portion of the chamber side wall between the plane of thewafer and the plane of the overhead electrode 125 plays little or norole as a direct return path for the VHF power applied to the overheadelectrode 125 because of the large area of the electrode 125 and therelatively short electrode-to-wafer gap. In fact, the side wall of thechamber may be isolated from the plasma using magnetic isolation or adielectric coating or an annular dielectric insert or removable liner.

In order to confine current flow of the VHF plasma source poweremanating from the overhead electrode 125 within the verticalelectrode-to-pedestal pathway and away from other parts of the chamber100 such as the sidewall, the effective ground or return electrode areain the plane of the wafer 110 is enlarged beyond the physical area ofthe wafer or wafer support 105, so that it exceeds the area of theoverhead electrode 125. This is achieved by the provision of the annularsemiconductor ring 115 generally coplanar with and surrounding the wafer110. The semiconductor ring 115 provides a stray capacitance to thegrounded chamber body and thereby extends the effective radius of the“return” electrode in the plane of the wafer 110 for the VHF powersignal from the overhead electrode. The semiconductor ring 115 isinsulated from the grounded chamber body by the dielectric ring 120. Thethickness and dielectric constant of the ring 120 is selected to achievea desirable ratio of VHF ground currents through the wafer 110 andthrough the semiconductor ring 115. In a preferred embodiment, thedielectric ring 120 was quartz, having a dielectric constant of 9 andwas of a thickness of 10 mm.

In order to confine current flow from the HF plasma bias power from thebias generator 200 within the vertical path between the surface of thewafer and the electrode 135 and avoid current flow to other parts of thechamber (e.g., the sidewall), the overhead electrode 135 provides aneffective HF return electrode area significantly greater than the areaof the wafer or wafer support 105. The semiconductor ring 115 in theplane of the wafer support 105 does not play a significant role incoupling the HF bias power into the chamber, so that the effectiveelectrode area for coupling the HF bias power is essentially confined tothe area of the wafer and wafer support 105.

Enhancement of Plasma Stability:

In a preferred mode of the invention, plasma stability was enhanced byeliminating D.C. coupling of the plasma to the shorting conductor 165connected across the inner and outer stub conductors 140, 145 at theback of the stub 135. This is accomplished by the provision of the thincapacitive ring 180 between the coaxial stub inner conductor 140 and theelectrode 125. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the ring 180 is sandwichedbetween the electrode 125 on the bottom and the conductive annular innerhousing support 176. Preferably, in the exemplary embodiments describedherein, the capacitive ring 180 had a capacitance of about 180picoFarads, depending on the frequency of the bias chosen, about 13 MHz.With such a value of capacitance, the capacitive ring 180 does notimpede the cross-grounding feature described above. In thecross-grounding feature, the HF bias signal on the wafer pedestal isreturned to the RF return terminal of the HF bias generator 150 via thestub 135 while the VHF source power signal from the electrode 125 isreturned to the RF return terminal of the VHF source power generator 150via the wafer pedestal.

FIG. 5 is a graph illustrating the reflection coefficient between theVHF power source and the overhead electrode 135 as a function offrequency in a preferred embodiment of the invention. This graphillustrates the existence of a very broad band of frequencies over whichthe reflection coefficient is below 6 dB, which is indicative of thehighly advantageous low system Q discussed above.

FIG. 6 illustrates the standing wave current (solid line) and standingwave voltage (dashed line) as a function of position along the coaxialstub 135 in the case in which the tap 160 is placed at the distance A ofFIG. 2B from the shorted end of the stub.

FIG. 7 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the invention in whichthe inner conductor 140 of the coaxial stub 135 is tapered, having alarger radius at the near stub end 135 a adjacent the overhead electrode125 and a smaller radius at the far stub end 135 b. This featureprovides a transition between a low impedance (e.g., 50 Ω) presented bythe coaxial stub 135 at the tap 160 and a higher impedance (e.g., 64 Ω)presented by the coaxial stub 135 at the overhead electrode 125.

Results:

The invention thus provides a plasma reactor which is far less sensitiveto changes in operating conditions and/or variations in manufacturingtolerances. It is believed that these great advantages including lack ofsensitivity to operating conditions—i.e., broad tuning or frequencyspace for impedance matching—are the contributions of a number ofreactor features working together in combination, including an overheadreactor electrode having a capacitance matching or nearly matching themagnitude of the negative capacitance of the plasma at the most desiredprocessing plasma ion densities, use of a VHF source power frequencymatching or nearly matching the plasma-electrode resonance frequency;the close relationship of the VHF source power frequency, theplasma-electrode resonance frequency and the stub resonance frequency;offsetting the plasma-electrode resonance frequency, the stub resonancefrequency and the source power frequency from one another; and the useof a resonant stub match to couple source power to the overheadelectrode, preferably with the source power input tap 160 offsetslightly from the ideal match location.

It is believed that offsetting the plasma, stub and source powerfrequencies broadens the tuning space of the system by, in effect,de-tuning the system. Using a stub match broadens the tuning space bymatching across a broader frequency range. Offsetting the stub tap point160 from the ideal match point further optimizes the system to broadenthe tuning space, because this feature has the effect of adding currentwhen delivered power would otherwise decline and of subtracting currentwhen delivered power would otherwise increase. Using a higher (VHF)source power frequency provides a decrease in system Q or an increase intuning space proportional to the increase in source power frequency.More importantly, this selection allows the electrode-plasma resonanceto be matched to the source power frequency at a plasma densityfavorable to etch processes.

Because the invention renders the reactor virtually immune to changes inprocess conditions over a broader process window, it provides thethree-fold advantage of a reactor that is (a) workable over a widerrange of process condition deviations, (b) useful over a broader rangeof applications (different process recipes) and (c) whose performance isvirtually unaffected over a wider range of manufacturing tolerances, sothat reactor-to-reactor characteristics are uniform.

Consequently, superior results have been attained. Specifically, the Qof the system has been minimized to about 5 in some cases to retain asuperior degree of uniformity of characteristics and performance amongdifferent reactors of the same model, and to enhance process window.High plasma densities on the order of 10¹² ions/cc have been achievedconsistently with only 2 kW of source power. The system sustainedplasmas over a pressure range of 10 mT to 200 mT with no transitionswith source power levels as low as 10 W. The shorted impedance matchingcoaxial stub resonating near the VHF plasma and source power frequenciesshorted out parasitic VHF plasma sheath harmonics while realizing apower efficiency in excess of 95%. The system accomodated plasmaresistive load variations of 60:1 and reactive load variations of 1.3 to0.75 while maintaining the source power SWR at less than 3:1.

It is believed that this increased capability to accommodate loadvariations, and hence expanded process windows, is due in large part to(a) the matching of the electrode and plasma capacitances under thedesign operating conditions, accomplished as above described byappropriate choice of dielectric values between the electrode 125 andits conductive support as well as the appropriate choice of VHF sourcepower frequency; and (b) the specially configured coaxial stub with theoptimal tap positioning, by which the tap current added to the stubcurrent under low load conditions and subtracted from it under high loadconditions. It is believed the very high power efficiency is due inlarge part to the impedance transformation provided by the coaxial stub,which minimizes reflection losses both at the generator connection aswell as at the electrode connection, due to obtaining a match betweenstub resonant frequency and electrode-plasma resonant frequency, alongwith optimal tap positioning for realizing a low current and highvoltage in the coaxial stub where resistive losses dominate and a highcurrent low voltage at the electrode/plasma where capacitive lossesdominate. Yet all these benefits are provided while avoiding orminimizing the need for coventional impedance match apparatus.

While preferred embodiments of the invention adapted for silicon andmetal etch have been described in detail, the invention is alsoadvantageous for choices of plasma operating conditions other than thosedescribed above, including different ion densities, different plasmasource power levels, different chamber pressures. These variations willproduce different plasma capacitances, requiring different electrodecapacitances and different electrode-plasma resonant frequencies andtherefore require different plasma source power frequencies and stubresonant frequencies from those described above. Also, different waferdiameters and different plasma processes such as chemical vapordeposition may well have different operating regimes for source powerand chamber pressure. Yet it is believed that under these variousapplications, the invention will generally enhance the process windowand stability as in the preferred embodiment described above.

While the invention has been described in detail by reference topreferred embodiments, it is understood that variations andmodifications thereof may be made without departing from the true spiritand scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A plasma reactor for processing a semiconductorworkpiece, comprising: a reactor chamber having a chamber wall andcontaining a workpiece support for holding the semiconductor workpiece;an overhead electrode overlying said workpiece support, said electrodecomprising a portion of said chamber wall; an RF power generator forsupplying power at a frequency of said generator to said overheadelectrode and capable of maintaining a plasma within said chamber at adesired plasma ion density level; said overhead electrode having areactance that forms a resonance with the plasma at an electrode-plasmaresonant frequency which is at or near said frequency of said generator.2. The reactor of claim 1 wherein said plasma has a reactance and thereactance of said electrode corresponds to the reactance of said plasma.3. The reactor of claim 2 wherein the reactance of said electrode is aconjugate of the reactance of said plasma.
 4. The reactor of claim 2wherein the reactance of said plasma comprises a negative capacitance,and wherein the capacitance of said electrode is the same magnitude asthe magnitude of said negative capacitance of said plasma.
 5. Thereactor of claim 1 wherein the frequency of said RF generator and theelectrode-plasma resonant frequency are VHF frequencies.
 6. The reactorof claim 5 wherein said plasma reactance is a function of said plasmaion density and said plasma ion density supports a selected plasmaprocess of said reactor.
 7. The reactor of claim 6 wherein said plasmaprocess is a plasma etch process and wherein said plasma ion densitylies in a range from about 10⁹ ions/cubic centimeter to about 10¹²ions/cubic centimeter.
 8. The reactor of claim 1 further comprising afixed impedance matching element connected between said generator andsaid overhead electrode, said fixed impedance match element having amatch element resonant frequency.
 9. The reactor of claim 8 wherein thematch element resonant frequency and said electrode-plasma resonantfrequency are offset from one another and the frequency of saidgenerator lies between said electrode-plasma resonant frequency and saidmatch element resonant frequency.
 10. The reactor of claim 9 whereinsaid frequency of said generator, said plasma frequency and said matchelement resonant frequency are all VHF frequencies.
 11. The reactor ofclaim 8 wherein said fixed impedance match element comprises: a coaxialstub having a near end thereof adjacent said overhead electrode forcoupling power from said RF power generator to said overhead electrodeand providing an impedance transformation therebetween, said coaxialstub comprising: an inner conductor connected at said near end to saidoverhead electrode, an outer conductor around and spaced from said innerconductor and connected at said near end to an RF return potential ofsaid RF power generator, a tap at a selected location along the axiallength of said stub, said tap comprising a connection between said innerconductor and an output terminal of said RF power generator.
 12. Thereactor of claim 11 further comprising a shorting conductor connected ata far end of said stub opposite said near end to said inner and outerconnectors, whereby said far end of said stub is an electrical short.13. The reactor of claim 11 wherein the length of said stub between saidnear and far ends is equal to a multiple of a quarter wavelength of saidmatch element resonant frequency of the stub.
 14. The reactor of claim13 wherein said multiple is two whereby said length of said stub is ahalf-wavelength at said match element resonant frequency.
 15. Thereactor of claim 13 wherein said frequency of said RF power generator,said match element resonant frequency and said electrode-plasma resonantfrequency are all VHF frequencies offset from one another.
 16. Thereactor of claim 11 wherein said stub comprises aluminum.
 17. Thereactor of claim 11 wherein said selected location is a location alongthe length of said stub at which a ratio between a standing wave voltageand a standing wave current in said stub is at least nearly equal to anoutput impedance of said RF power generator.
 18. The reactor of claim 17wherein said selected location of said tap is shifted from an ideallocation at which said ratio is equal to said output impedance, theshift being sufficient to realize an addition of current at said tapwhenever the load impedance at said overhead electrode decreases below anominal level and to realize a subtraction of current at said tapwhenever the load impedance at said overhead electrode increases above anominal level.
 19. The reactor of claim 18 wherein the shift from saidideal location is about 5% of one wavelength of the VHF frequency ofsaid RF generator.
 20. The reactor of claim 18 wherein the shift fromsaid ideal location is such that at least a 6:1 increase in resistivematch space is realized.
 21. The reactor of claim 11 further comprisingan insulating material between said inner and outer conductors of saidstub, said insulating material having a dielectric constant, saiddielectric constant and the radii of said inner and outer conductorsbeing such that said coaxial stub has a characteristic impedance whichis greater than the output impedance of said RF power generator.
 22. Thereactor of claim 21 wherein said characteristic impedance of saidcoaxial stub is about 30% greater than the output impedance of said RFpower generator.
 23. The reactor of claim 21 wherein said coaxial stubhas a characteristic impedance which is less than the output impedanceof said RF power generator.
 24. The reactor of claim 21 furthercomprising an insulating seal between said overhead electrode and aremaining portion of said chamber wall, the dielectric constant of saidinsulating seal and the area of said overhead electrode being such thatsaid plasma in said chamber resonates with said overhead electrode atsaid electrode-plasma resonant frequency.
 25. The reactor of claim 21wherein said inner conductor is a tapered cylinder, having a maximumradius at said near end of said stub and a minimum radius at said farend of said stub.
 26. The reactor of claim 21 further comprising an HFfrequency bias power generator and an impedance match circuit connectedbetween said HF frequency bias power generator and said wafer support,wherein the frequency of said RF power generator connected to saidelectrode, said electrode-plasma resonant frequency and said matchelement resonant frequency are VHF frequencies.
 27. The reactor of claim26 wherein said wafer support provides an RF return path for VHF powercoupled into said chamber from said overhead electrode.
 28. The reactorof claim 27 further comprising a semiconductive annular ring surroundingthe periphery of said wafer, said ring extending an effective returnelectrode area presented to VHF power coupled into said chamber fromsaid overhead electrode.
 29. The reactor of claim 28 further comprisingan insulating annulus supporting said ring and insulating said ring fromsaid chamber wall, the dielectric constant of said ring determiningapportionment of VHF power return current between said wafer support andsaid semiconductor ring.
 30. The reactor of claim 28 wherein theeffective return electrode area for VHF power coupled into said chamberfrom said overhead electrode exceeds the area of said overheadelectrode.
 31. The reactor of claim 30 wherein the combination of saidoverhead electrode with said coaxial stub provides an RF return path forHF power coupled into said chamber from said wafer support, saidoverhead electrode having an area greater than the area of said wafersupport.
 32. The reactor of claim 28 further comprising a capacitiveelement between said overhead electrode and said fixed impedancematching element, the capacitive element having a capacitance sufficientto provide DC isolation between said plasma and said fixed impedancematching element.
 33. The reactor of claim 31 wherein said innerconductor of said coaxial stub comprises a hollow conduit, said reactorfurther comprising: gas inlet apparatus in said overhead ceiling fordistributing process gas into said chamber; a gas feed line extendingthrough said conduit to said gas inlet apparatus in said overheadceiling.
 34. The reactor of claim 33 wherein said gas feed linecomprises metal.
 35. The reactor of claim 33 wherein said innerconductor of said coaxial stub comprises a hollow conduit, said reactorfurther comprising: coolant passages within said overhead ceiling; acoolant feed line extending through said conduit to said coolantpassages in said overhead ceiling.
 36. The reactor of claim 35 whereinsaid coolant feed line comprises metal.
 37. A plasma reactor forprocessing a semiconductor workpiece, comprising: a reactor chamberhaving a chamber wall and containing a workpiece support for holding thesemiconductor workpiece; an overhead electrode overlying said workpiecesupport, said electrode comprising a portion of said chamber wall; an RFpower generator for supplying power at a frequency of said generator tosaid overhead electrode and capable of maintaining a plasma within saidchamber at a desired plasma ion density level; said overhead electrodehaving a capacitance such that said overhead electrode and the plasmaformed in said chamber at said desired plasma ion density resonatetogether at an electrode-plasma responant frequency, said frequency ofsaid generator being at least near said electrode-plasma resonantfrequency.
 38. The plasma reactor of claim 37 further comprising a fixedimpedance matching element connected between said generator and saidoverhead electrode, said fixed impedance matching element having a matchelement resonant frequency.
 39. The plasma reactor of claim 38 whereinsaid frequency of said generator lies between said electrode-plasmaresonant frequency and said match element resonant frequency.
 40. Theplasma reactor of claim 39 wherein each of said frequencies is a VHFfrequency.
 41. A plasma reactor for processing a semiconductorworkpiece, comprising: a reactor chamber having a chamber wall andcontaining a workpiece support for holding the semiconductor workpiece;a planar overhead electrode overlying said workpiece support, saidelectrode comprising a portion of said chamber wall; an RF powergenerator capable of supplying power to said overhead electrode tomaintain a plasma in said chamber at a desired plasma ion density; acoaxial stub having a near end thereof adjacent said overhead electrodefor coupling power from said RF power generator to said overheadelectrode and providing an impedance transformation therebetween, saidcoaxial stub having an axis of cylindrical symmetry generallynon-parallel to a plane of said planar overhead electrode at aninterface therebetween, and comprising: an inner conductor connected atsaid near end to said overhead electrode, an outer conductor around andspaced from said inner conductor and coupled at said near end to an RFreturn potential of said RF power generator through a sidewall portionof said chamber wall, a tap at a selected location along the axiallength of said stub, said tap comprising a connection between said innerconductor and an output terminal of said RF power generator.
 42. Thereactor of claim 41 further comprising a shorting conductor connected ata far end of said stub opposite said near end to said inner and outerconnectors, whereby said far end of said stub is an electrical short.43. The reactor of claim 42 wherein said stub has a stub resonantfrequency, and the length of said stub between said near and far ends isequal to a multiple of a quarter wavelength of stub resonant frequency.44. The reactor of claim 43 where said multiple is two whereby saidlength of said stub is a half-wavelength at said stub responantfrequency.
 45. The reactor of claim 43 wherein said RF power generatorproduces a VHF power signal at a VHF frequency, said stub resonantfrequency being a VHF frequency offset from the VHF frequency of saidgenerator.
 46. The reactor of claim 45 wherein said overhead electrodehas a capacitance such that said electrode and said plasma at saidselected plasma ion density resonate together at a VHF electrode-plasmaresonant frequency, said VHF frequency of said generator lying betweensaid electrode-plasma resonant frequency and said stub resonantfrequency.
 47. The reactor of claim 41 wherein said selected location isa location at which a ratio between standing voltage and current wavesin said stub is at least nearly equal to an output impedance of said RFpower generator.
 48. The reactor of claim 47 wherein said selectedlocation of said tap is shifted from an ideal location at which saidratio is equal to said output impedance, the shift being sufficient torealize an addition of current at said tap whenever the load impedanceat said overhead electrode decreases below a nominal level and torealize a subtraction of current at said tap whenever the load impedanceat said overhead electrode increases above a nominal level.
 49. Thereactor of claim 48 wherein the shift from said ideal location is about5% of one wavelength of the stub resonant frequency.
 50. The reactor ofclaim 48 wherein the shift from said ideal location is such that atleast a 6:1 increase in resistive match space is realized.
 51. Thereactor of claim 41 further comprising an insulating material betweensaid inner and outer conductors of said stub, said insulating materialhaving a dielectric constant, said dielectric constant and the radii ofsaid inner and outer conductors being such that said coaxial stub has acharacteristic impedance which is greater than the output impedance ofsaid RF power generator.
 52. The reactor of claim 51 wherein saidcharacteristic impedance of said coaxial stub is about 30% greater thanthe output impedance of said RF power generator.
 53. The reactor ofclaim 41 wherein said coaxial stub has a characteristic impedance whichis less than the output impedance of said RF power generator.
 54. Thereactor of claim 41 further comprising an insulating seal between saidoverhead electrode and a remaining portion of said chamber wall, thedielectric constant of said insulating seal and the area of saidoverhead electrode being such that the plasma at said selected plasmaion density and said overhead electrode resonate together at a VHFelectrode-plasma resonant frequency.
 55. The reactor of claim 51 whereinsaid inner conductor is a tapered cylinder, having a maximum radius atsaid near end of said stub and a minimum radius at said far end of saidstub.
 56. The reactor of claim 41 further comprising an HF frequencybias power generator and an impedance match circuit connected betweensaid HF frequency bias power generator and said wafer support.
 57. Thereactor of claim 56 wherein said wafer support provides an RF returnpath for VHF power coupled into said chamber from said overheadelectrode.
 58. The reactor of claim 57 further comprising asemiconductive annular ring surrounding the periphery of said wafer,said ring extending an effective return electrode area presented to VHFpower coupled into said chamber from said overhead electrode.
 59. Thereactor of claim 58 further comprising an insulating annulus supportingsaid ring and insulating said ring from said chamber wall, thedielectric constant of said ring determining apportionment of VHF powerreturn current between said wafer support and said semiconductor ring.60. The reactor of claim 58 wherein the effective return electrode areafor VHF power coupled into said chamber from said overhead electrodeexceeds the area of said overhead electrode.
 61. The reactor of claim 60wherein said overhead electrode with said coaxial stub provides an RFreturn path for HF power coupled into said chamber from said wafersupport, said overhead electrode having an area greater than the area ofsaid wafer support.
 62. The reactor of claim 61 wherein said innerconductor of said coaxial stub comprises a hollow conduit, said reactorfurther comprising: gas inlet apparatus in said overhead ceiling fordistributing process gas into said chamber; a gas feed line extendingthrough said conduit to said gas inlet apparatus in said overheadceiling.
 63. The reactor of claim 42 wherein said inner conductor ofsaid coaxial stub comprises a hollow conduit, said reactor furthercomprising: coolant passages within said overhead ceiling; a coolantfeed line extending through said conduit to said coolant passages insaid overhead ceiling.
 64. A method of processing a semiconductor waferin a plasma reactor chamber, comprising: providing an overhead electrodehaving an electrode capacitance and a VHF power generator; coupling saidVHF power generator to said overhead electrode through an impedancematching stub having a length which is a multiple of about one quarterof a VHF stub frequency and connected at one end thereof to saidoverhead electrode and connected at a tap point therealong to said VHFpower generator; applying an amount of power from said VHF powergenerator to said overhead electrode to maintain a plasma density atwhich said plasma and electrode together tend to resonate at a VHFfrequency at least near the VHF frequency of said VHF power generator.65. The method of claim 64 wherein said plasma density lies in a rangeof 10⁹ through 10¹² ions per cubic centimeter.
 66. The method of claim64 wherein the step of applying power matches a negative capacitance ofthe plasma to the capacitance of the electrode.
 67. The method of claim64 further comprising: locating said tap at least near an axial locationalong the length of said stub at which the ratio between the standingwave voltage and standing wave current equals the output impedance ofsaid VHF generator.
 68. The method of claim 67 wherein said locatingcomprises locating said stub at a position slightly offset from saidaxial location by an amount which realizes a significant increase in theresistive match space of an impedance match provided by said coaxialstub.
 69. The method of claim 68 wherein said significant increase is onthe order of a 6:1 increase.
 70. The method of claim 69 wherein saidposition is offset by about 5% of the wavelength of said VHF generator.71. The method of claim 64 wherein the VHF frequency of said VHFgenerator lies between said plasma VHF frequency and said stub VHFfrequency.
 72. The method of claim 64 wherein said multiple is 2 wherebysaid stub is about a half wavelength at said stub frequency.
 73. Aplasma reactor for processing a semiconductor workpiece, comprising: areactor chamber having a chamber wall and containing a workpiece supportfor holding the semiconductor workpiece; a planar electrode at leastgenerally facing said workpiece support; a coaxial stub having a nearend thereof adjacent said overhead electrode said coaxial stub having acylindrical axis of symmetry generally non-parallel to a plane of saidplanar electrode at an interface therebetween, and comprising: an innerconductor connected at said near end to said overhead electrode, anouter conductor around and spaced from said inner conductor; an RFgenerator connected across said inner and outer conductors.
 74. Thereactor of claim 73 wherein said outer conductor and said wafer supportare connected to an RF return potential of said RF generator.
 75. Thereactor of claim 74 further comprising a coaxial cable providing theconnection between said coaxial stub and said RF generator, said coaxialcable having a center conductor connected at one end to an RF outputterminal of said RF generator and connected at an opposite end to saidelectrode, said coaxial cable further having an outer conductorconnected at one end to an RF return potential of said RF generator andcoupled at an opposite end to said portions of said chamber electricallyconnected to said wafer support.
 76. The reactor of claim 75 whereinsaid cable has a characteristic impedance equal to the output impedanceof said RF generator.
 77. The reactor of claim 76 wherein the connectionbetween said inner conductors of said coaxial stub and coaxial cable isat a tap point along the length of said coaxial stub at which the ratioof the standing wave voltage and current in said stub is at leastapproximately equal to said characteristic impedance of said cable. 78.The reactor of claim 77 wherein the connection between said innerconductors of said coaxial stub and coaxial cable is a tap pointslightly offset from a location along the length of said coaxial stub atwhich the ratio of the standing wave voltage and current in said stub atfrequency of said RF generator is equal to said characteristic impedanceof said cable.
 79. The reactor of claim 78 wherein said tap point isoffset from said location by about 5% of a wavelength at the frequencyof said RF generator.
 80. The reactor of claim 73 further comprising ashorting conductor connected between said inner and outer conductors ata far end of said stub away from said electrode.
 81. The reactor ofclaim 80 wherein the length of said stub between said near and far endsis equal to a multiple of a quarter wavelength of a stub resonantfrequency at least near the frequency of said RF generator.
 82. Thereactor of claim 81 where said multiple is two whereby said length ofsaid stub is a half-wavelength at said stub resonant frequency.
 83. Thereactor of claim 81 wherein said RF power generator produces a VHF powersignal at a VHF frequency, said stub resonant frequency being a VHFfrequency offset from the VHF frequency of said generator.
 84. Thereactor of claim 83 wherein said overhead electrode and the plasmaformed in said chamber resonate together at a VHF electrode-plasmaresonant frequency, said VHF frequency of said generator lying betweensaid electrode-plasma resonant frequency and said stub resonantfrequency.
 85. The reactor of claim 73 further comprising an insulatingmaterial between said inner and outer conductors of said stub, saidinsulating material having a dielectric constant, said dielectricconstant and the radii of said inner and outer conductors being suchthat said coaxial stub has a characteristic impedance which is greaterthan the output impedance of said RF power generator.
 86. The reactor ofclaim 73 wherein said coaxial stub has a characteristic impedance whichis less than the output impedance of said RF power generator.
 87. Thereactor of claim 73 wherein said inner conductor of said coaxial stubcomprises a hollow conduit, said reactor further comprising: gas inletapparatus in said overhead ceiling for distributing process gas intosaid chamber; a gas feed line extending through said conduit to said gasinlet apparatus in said overhead ceiling.
 88. The reactor of claim 73wherein said inner conductor of said coaxial stub comprises a hollowconduit, said reactor further comprising: coolant passages within saidoverhead ceiling; a coolant feed line extending through said conduit tosaid coolant passages in said overhead ceiling.
 89. A method ofproviding an impedance transformation between the output impedance of anRF generator output and a load impedance at an electrode of a plasmareactor for processing a semiconductor wafer, comprising: providing afixed coaxial stub and connecting said fixed coaxial stub between saidRF generator output and said electrode; and operating said RF generatorat a power level that maintains a plasma in said reactor with a plasmaion density at which the combination of said plasma and said electrodetend to resonate near the output frequency of said RF generator.
 90. Themethod of claim 89 wherein providing a fixed coaxial stub comprisesproviding a fixed coaxial stub having a characteristic impedancedifferent from said output impedance of said RF generator.
 91. Themethod of claim 1 wherein said density is in the range of 10⁹ to 10¹²ions per cubic centimeter and the frequency of said RF generator is aVHF frequency.
 92. The method of claim 89 wherein connecting said fixedstub comprises connecting said RF generator output to said stub at a tappoint at least near a location along the length of said stub between theends thereof at which the ratio standing wave voltage and current isequal to the output impedance of said RF generator.
 93. The method ofclaim 92 wherein said tap point is shifted from said location by afraction of a wavelength at the frequency of said RF generator.
 94. Themethod of claim 93 wherein said fraction is on the order of 5%.